12/18/18 | Exploration

Geology and previous mining production

The Bates Hunter mine is located in the historic mining district of Central City, CO which is about 35 miles west of Denver. Since discovery of gold in central city in 1859 the area has produced over 4 million ounces of gold and 118 million ounces of silver, most of which was produced between 1859 and 1947. The primary ore deposits form in abundant and predominantly NE-E trending faults dipping steeply to the SE or NW

 

Current Drill/Sample Program

The 2018 Drill program was focused on exploration drill holes to identify the possibility of mineral resources specific to gold (Au) and silver (Ag) in the hanging and footwall of the previously stoped areas in the Bates Hunter Mine. Two horizontal core holes (IEWS size, 1-inch diameter) were drilled underground at the 112 ft level of the Bates-Hunter shaft into the hanging and footwall in a perpendicular direction to the general trend(N50E) of the Bates vein. The hole drilled in the hanging wall was driven 101.8ft with 5 samples taken and assayed at various depths.  These samples returned no promising data (see Table 1.0). The footwall drill hole reached 111.1 ft from which 12 samples were taken and assayed returning one significant intercept with 1.74 ounces per ton (opt) of gold and 2.87 opt of silver at a distance of 60.8 feet into the footwall, over an interval of 1.2 feet. Additional gold and silver mineralization was found in five other intervals in the footwall at varying depths as close as 12.6 ft and no further than 71.5 ft from the existing workings.

 

Additional grab sampling has occurred and channel sampling is planned from insitu exposures of vein material.

 

Samples reported herein were taken from IEWS drill core using a diamond saw.  Drill core was split longitudinally and broken or cut at the start and finish of intervals along the length of the core.  Visual identification of mineralized intercepts was used to determine sample intervals.  All samples were taken to Hazen Research, Inc in Golden, Colorado.  Results presented in Table 1.0 are from Analytical Report 18M03234, 12/17/18.  These samples are the first samples taken by the current operator of the Bates-Hunter mine, BH Mining Company.  Samples results appear to be generally consistent with previously reported sample results from other operators (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080716005359/en/Wits-Basin-Announces-Gold-Intercept-Bates-Hunter-Project)